PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) house on Wednesday unanimously gave its nod to the proposal to make singing Vande Mataram mandatory in civic body-run schools. With the proposal likely to become a directive, the Urdu medium schools, run by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled PMC, would also have to sing the Vande Mataram. There are 309 municipal schools, including 34 Urdu medium schools, in the city.

Leaders across party lines agreed to the proposal put forward by Shiv Sena. The all-party meet called by Pune mayor Mukta Tilak was attended by standing committee chairman Murlidhar Mohol, deputy mayor Siddharth Dhende, leader of the House Srinath Bhimale, opposition party leader Chetan Tupe, Sena leader Sanjay Bhosale and MNS leader Vasant More.“There are some schools which already sing Vande Mataram. The proposal will come up for discussion in the general body meeting,” said Mohol.

Sena member Nana Bhangire, who had put forth the proposal in the PMC, along with party leader Bhosale told media that all leaders have given the go-ahead to the proposal and it would get approval in the general body soon. Sena’s proposal to put the picture of Chhatrapati Shivaji in schools will also come up for discussion at the general body (GB) meet.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, opposition party member Tupe said, “We have asked the education department’s views on the song and the officials have said that most of the civic-run schools are already singing Vande Mataram. If the students are already singing the song, what is the point in making it compulsory? Hence, the opposition parties have given their nod for the proposal.”

Once the proposal gets nod in the general body meeting, its implementation would start.

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Sena leader knows only first two lines

Shiv Sena leader Nana Bhangire, who had put forth the proposal in PMC to make Vande Mataram mandatory in civic body-run schools, was able to recite only first two lines of the poem when requested by the media recently. Opposition parties had criticised the Sena leader stating that those who want to make the song compulsory in schools do not know its full verses.